Tactical, squad-based shooters don't come much more nail-biting than the Rainbow Six series and the latest instalment is no exception. A nefarious terrorist organisation is trying to sour relationships between Saudi Arabia and the US with the hope of causing global instability, and it's up to the brave boys of Team Rainbow to find the cause and deal with it - permanently.

Guide your team of hardened, military experts through a series of covert operations around the world. You'll be travelling to locations as varied as London, the Cayman Islands and Rio de Janeiro, which may sound glamorous, but they all hide a deadly mystery that you must unravel if you hope to thwart the course of global terrorism.

Use your heightened skills of stealth, combat and squad tactics to maximise your chances of success across the immersive single player missions, or team up with a buddy for split-screen, cooperative action. For the ultimate challenge, take your covert ops expertise online and take part in three conflict modes alongside up to seven other players (two teams of four).

Rainbow Six 3 utilises a voice command function, so commanders can bark orders verbally to their computer-controlled squad via a USB Headset. When facing down the terrorists online, you can coordinate your attacks through the headset, secretly communicating with members of your team to become the ultimate online force. Of course, all of this brilliant gameplay comes with the high level of realism you'd expect from the author of The Hunt For Red October, Patriot Games and The Sum of All Fears: Tom Clancy.

The latest in the hit Rainbow Six series

The ultimate in squad-based tactical action

Issue commands verbally via a USB headset in the solo game and coordinate your online operations with your team mates

Split-screen function for two players to cooperate in obliterating the threat of global terrorism